From the Editor

Growing up just 30 minutes from downtown Manhattan, I explored the island on a regular basis. Some of that early exploration came in the form of monthly day trips to the city with my father — and my pick of New York entertainment. Occasionally, he’d persuade me to take a trip down Museum Mile and see one of the city’s great museums, or take in a Broadway show. But more often than not, it would come down to the tough choice of baseball, the Empire State Building, or Chinatown.

Exploring a city with such vast offerings is all about making choices — difficult for a visitor of any age. In this month’s issue, we offer up some great fall options for seeing New York, whether you’re coming from 30 miles or 3,000 miles away — from the excitement of Broadway’s fall season to the upcoming New York City Marathon (Go Culture) to the restaurant that started chef Bobby Flay’s growing empire (Go Eat) to a classic Manhattan lounge inside a storied hotel (Go Explore). It’s but the tip of the city’s cultural iceberg.

Happy travels and good reading.

From the Readers: Just the Facts, Man

The letter by Mr. Victor Martinez published in the July 2006 issue of Continental magazine was rather incomplete.

Yes, the anniversary of September 16, 1810, is celebrated in Mexico as Independence Day and is the equivalent of the U.S.A.’s July 4 celebration. Mexico’s independence from Spain was not achieved until 1821, much as the American colonies’ independence from England was not achieved until the English surrendered at Yorktown in October 1781 and the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783.

Cinco de Mayo celebrates the anniversary of the defeat of French troops at Puebla, about 80 miles southeast of Mexico City, on May 5, 1862. It was the first great battle of the War of French Intervention, but it was a battle won in a war lost. The French recovered from their defeat at Puebla and subsequently installed Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian von Habsburg and his wife, Carlota, as the emperor and empress of Mexico in May 1864.

I disagree with Mr. Martinez’s conclusion that Cinco de Mayo is considered a minor civic holiday in Mexico. Yes, it’s an incongruous celebration, but the idea of renewed independence for Mexico was born with the initial victory at Puebla, and that independence became a reality in 1867.

Unfortunately, few people in the United States, regardless of their heritage, understand the history or significance of May 5, 1862, to Mexicans today.

Ricardo E. Garza
Houston, Texas

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Photograph by: Brian Urkevic (Buller)